With reference to Julian Bielewicz' query re binoculars:
I have recently purchased a pair of Leica 8X42 bins and I can only
say they are superb. In my view there is no other choice as far as
brand is concerned: the difficult decision is which configuration
(8X42, 10X42 or 10X50), and that will depend on budget.
I bought a pair of Zeiss 10X50 in 1990 to replace Pentax - what an
improvement - but I'd had my eye on Leicas since I first encountered
them. Users of Swarovski and Bausch and Lomb rate their bins very highly,
and not everyone swears by Leica, but we are only talking of degrees
of excellence - once you make the jump to any of these brands,
there's no looking back.
I remember once discussing the identification of a bird perched at
the top of a tree where it was backlit against fog and basically a
silhouette. I was with an expert birder (700+ Aus spp) armed with
Zeiss Dialyts; I had a pair of Leica 8X42 which I was trying out for
the weekend. The birder in question thought we had a an oriole in
sight; I thought it was a Grey Shrike-thrush. He could only see a silhouette,
but through the Leicas the various greys of the shrike-thrush could be
discerned, even in the challenging conditions.
While it would be an exaggeration to say he was handicapped by the
Zeiss, the situation could easily have been critical if we had been
in the montane forests of New Guinea or sorting out a bird wave in
Peru.
In my humble opinion every bird looks like a new bird through Leicas.
They are razor-sharp and somehow seem to make finding your quarry
that bit easier. Lifer? No - Leica!
And if anyone is interested in a pair of Zeiss 10X50 (West German) in good
condition, I'd part with them for $600 ono.
David Andrew
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